Kimberly Bryant Wants to Bridge the Digital Divide for Women of Color

In a new series called #TechTalk10, we'll be asking powerful women in the tech industry 10 questions each. We're tempted to ask them way more questions, of course, but these women are busy and important and have really, really interesting work to get back to.

Courtesy of Kimberly Bryant

Photo: Courtesy of Kimberly Bryant

These days the importance of getting more girls into STEM is widely recognized, though making it a reality remains a huge challenge. But back in 2011, when Kimberly Bryant, a biotech engineer by training, launched Black Girls CODE she was well ahead of the curve.

Bryant's goal is twofold: she wants to combat the feeling of cultural isolation—of being the "only one"—she felt during her college studies and bridge the digital divide for women of color.

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Explains Bryant: "There's still a dearth of African-American women in science, technology, engineering, and math professions, an absence that cannot be explained by, say, a lack of interest in these fields. Lack of access and lack of exposure to STEM topics are the likelier culprits."

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed: In 2013 Bryant was awarded the White House Champions of Change for Tech Inclusion award and just three years after launching the non-profit has chapters around the country. Bryant says her goal is to reach one million girls by 2040. Today she is answering our #TechTalk10.

I think my biggest mistake was deciding not to go to law school directly after I graduated from college. It's always been my dream to be an attorney and I'm that weird breed of human being that loves being in a courtroom.

What was the last book you read?

Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath

Someone gives you a crystal ball that lets you look five years into the future; what do you see?

I hope to see a pronounced shift five years from now of women in leadership roles across various industry spaces including technology, media, politics, etc. I believe this is the age of female centered leadership and I'm happy to be working in a space to drive inclusion for women.